LSN : News : Need to Know 15 : 05 : 18

1. Off The Block magazine addresses London’s Grenfell fire

Off The Block magazine by Francesco Loy Bell, London

London – Launched by Cambridge University student Francesco Loy Bell, Off The Block is a community magazine that pays tribute to the Grenfell tragedy.

The publication addresses the community backlash and subsequent public reaction to the disaster through a collection of interviews, artwork and poetry from London-based contributors. While celebrating the boldness and diversity of London and its residents, Off The Block also hopes to inspire discussion and political change on wider issues affecting Britain. In support of those affected by the Grenfell fire, the £12 magazine will donate all of its profits to related charities.

To see how community voices are shaping communications, read our story on Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner campaign.

2. Tiffany & Co. debuts song for new collection launch

2018 Spring Campaign: Believe In Dreams, Tiffany & Co. directed by Frances Lawrence

Global – The luxury jewellery brand has debuted its latest collection, Tiffany Paper Flowers, with a playful short film set to a remixed version of ‘Moon River’, as sung by Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

In a bid to attract a younger audience, the brand is taking an anti-luxurian approach through experimental marketing. The film opens with the original version of Moon River, as actress Elle Fanning stares into the windows of Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship. But she is quickly transported into an imaginary world, with the song escalating into an original rap by A$AP Ferg.

Launching separately in partnership with Spotify, this new edit of Moon River marks the first time Tiffany & Co. has released a song, and highlights how luxury brands are increasingly looking to music videos as an opportunity to portray their brand universe, rather than just promote products.

For more on why immersive collaborations may be key for your brand, read our Beyond Product Placement microtrend.

3. Yahoo launches a discrete messaging app

Global – Following the company’s data breach in 2016, Yahoo has launched Squirrel, an invite-only messaging app that focuses on private friend, family and work-based group interactions.

To gain access, users must be forwarded a specific link from current members, or alternatively can request an invitation from Oath, Yahoo’s parent company. Once a member, users can create secret rooms for specific people or topics, mute conversations and ‘blast’ messages to ensure everyone in a group chat sees important messages.

In light of recent data scandals, particularly with social media platform Facebook, Squirrel demonstrates a commitment to ensuring a protected environment for its users.

For more on how and why we continue question our relationship with technology and the internet, read our debrief from IAM Weekend 2018.

Yahoo Squirrel

4. New bar reimagines coffee and tea as creative cocktails

Cold Cocked Coffee, New Koreatown Food Hall, Los Angeles

Los Angeles – Set to open at the Platform 35 foodhall in Los Angeles, Cold Cocked Coffee Co. promises craft ‘cofftails’ made with coffee and tea.

Created by Adam Fleischman, founder of food company the Umami Group, the brand is attempting to disrupt the café scene with creative drinks served in a cocktail bar setting. The menu ranges from a Vietnamese-inspired beverage that combines coconut, fresh mint and dehydrated fish sauce, to sweeter options like a sea salt caramel coffee. Similar to cocktails, most of the drinks will be served cold in coupe glasses with ice, a garnish or relevant herbs.

As coffee consumption continues to grow, brands are exploring how to stand out in an over-saturated market, with tea and coffee becoming alternative ingredients that cater to individuals and cultures embracing low and no alcohol offerings.

5. Parents struggle with healthy diets for their kids

The survey by home appliance manufacturer Beko has highlighted the battle that parents experience when attempting to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their children’s diets. Of 2,000 parents surveyed, 41% said they will abandon greens because they are more concerned with ensuring their children eat full stop.

In response to this challenge, Beko are working with sports nutritionists to create over 100 family friendly recipes that are simple and nutritious. With rates of young obesity continuing to rise, brands must consider how they too can encourage parents to instil healthy eating habits into their children.

6. Thought-starter: How sustainable innovations are transforming the fashion industry

The winners of H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award 2018 are pioneering circular processes in the fashion supply chain, using materials from algae to fungi.

Both clothing brands and manufacturers are waking up to their duties to protect the planet and people by embodying Whole-System Thinking. In response to extensive amounts of food waste, US-based company Agraloop is transforming leftover yields from crops such as bananas, sugar cane and pineapples into biofibre that both reduces waste and provides additional income for farmers. The biofibre can be woven into a sustainable textile fabric suitable for clothing.

Swedish research group, Swerea has developed The Regenerator, a circular method that uses earth-friendly chemicals to separate polycotton, one of fashion’s most widely used fabric blends, into reusable textile fibres. This development is particular timely when, in the UK alone, clothing worth an estimated £140m (€160m, $190m) goes into landfill each year, with a quarter of that thrown away rather than recycled, according to Wrap, the UK government waste advisory body.

To discover the other 2018 winners, read the full article here.